The guys auditioned for the seminal music team of Leiber and Stoller, who gave the group its name in 1960. In the manner of the time, Leiber and Stoller wanted to extend this to "Binky Jones and the Americans", but Traynor declined to be known as "Binky Jones" his whole career. He instead offered up "Jay", a family nickname, and it suited everyone.
They first hit the Billboard charts in 1962 with the tune "She Cried". Later covered by several other artists, the track's highest charting was #5, inspiring the group. The next two singles didn't fare nearly as well, however, and John Traynor left the band. David Black (né David Blatt) of The Empires took his place (after first agreeing to adopt the name Jay Black), and Empires guitarist Marty Sanders also joined. Black sang lead for the rest of the group's existence.
They returned to the charts in 1963 with "Only In America", a song originally meant for The Drifters. Other notable hits for the Americans were "Come a Little Bit Closer" in 1964, which hit #3, and "Cara Mia" in 1965, which hit #4. The Americans also recorded a commercial for H.I.S. Slacks, and a public service announcement for the Ad Council, featuring a backing track by Brian Wilson and Phil Spector.
In 1968, they recorded an album of their favorite oldies remade fresh, called Sands of Time, and its single was "This Magic Moment", which also came through the Drifters. That track proved to be the last Top Ten record for the group. However, the band's follow-up album, titled 'Wax Museum', yielded the #19 hit "Walkin' In The Rain". First recorded by The Ronettes, the emotive love song has remained a classic on oldies themed stations along with the group's earlier work.
Their next singles failed to chart, nonetheless, and the band grew apart. The demand for live appearances remained. While the other members moved on to solo musical careers in 1973, Jay Black continued to perform as "Jay and the Americans" or "Jay Black and the Americans" until the 1980s, with a variety of musicians, including Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, who would later found Steely Dan. ."
The group reunited in the 1990s for special performances, most notably the 45 Years of Motown special on PBS.
in 2006, Jay Black filed for bankruptcy due to gambling debts, and his ownership of the name "Jay & The Americans" was sold by the bankruptcy trustee to Sandy Deanne (Yaguda), Black's former band mate and original member of Jay & The Americans for $100,000 to pay Black's debts. With the name purchase, former members Deanne, Howard Kane, and Marty Sanders reunited, and recruited a sound-alike singer from Chicago, coincidentally nicknamed "Jay." Thus, John "Jay" Reincke became the third "Jay" and the band returned to playing both national and international music venues. Their show covers the history of Jay and The Americans, acknowledging all three Jays and featuring all of the top hits in their original arrangements.
David Blatt still tours under his stage name, "Jay Black". Kenny Vance is currently the lead singer of Kenny Vance and the Planotones, a neo-doo wop band that he formed in the 1970s. After leaving the group, John Traynor recorded a handful of songs on the Coral label, including "I Rise, I Fall" in 1964. None were hits, but "I Rise, I Fall" became a minor hit for Johnny Tillotson. The label billed Traynor as "JAY formerly of Jay and the Americans." Traynor now tours with Jay Siegel's Tokens.
She Cried
Jay & The Americans Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I didn't love her anymore
She cried (She cried)
And when I told her
Her kisses were not like before
She cried (She cried)
I thought that our romance was over and done
But to her it had just begun
And when I told her
Another girl had caught my eye
She cried (She cried)
And when I kissed her
A kiss that only meant goodbye
She cried (She cried)
(Sha-la-la-la sha-la-la)
And when I told her
I didn't love her anymore
She cried (She cried)
The lyrics of Jay & The Americans’s song “She Cried” portrays the pain and heartbreak caused by unrequited love. The song talks about a lover who has fallen out of love with his partner and tries to tell her this, to which she responds with tears. He also tells her that her kisses are not the same as they used to be and that another girl has caught his eye. His partner cries again upon hearing this news. To end the relationship, he kisses her goodbye, which once again causes her to cry.
The song showcases the feelings of both the man and the woman in the failing relationship. He feels that it's over and done between them, but for her, it's just begun. Despite the man's attempt to end things with his girlfriend, it's evident that he still has a soft side for her. The sound 'Sha-la-la-la sha-la-la' further reinforces the tender sentiments.
Line by Line Meaning
And when I told her
I broke the news to her
I didn't love her anymore
My feelings for her had changed
She cried (She cried)
She wept and felt pain from my words
And when I told her
I explained to her
Her kisses were not like before
Our kissing didn't feel the same
She cried (She cried)
She wept and felt hurt from my words
I thought that our romance was over and done
I believed our relationship was finished
But to her it had just begun
She thought our relationship still had potential
And when I told her
I shared with her
Another girl had caught my eye
I was interested in someone else
She cried (She cried)
She wept and felt sadness from my news
And when I kissed her
I gave her a kiss
A kiss that only meant goodbye
It was a kiss to say goodbye forever
Lyrics © BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GREGG RICHARDS, TED DARYLL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carol-Ann Mitchell
I am 71 yrs old and this song still brings me to tears...teen loves come and gone...those were precious years I was too young to know...love these songs...miss them so today..
Larry Krauth
Me Too Carol-ann
P
Carol-Ann... those 'teen loves' at 71...I know you hear them as if they were yesterday. Enjoy them, those memories, as if they were today.
P
Me too Larry... me too brother.
Larry Baskin
Same here at 70. Why so sad? The release of the song happened during my parents' break up. Powerful melody with matching lyrics!
Brenda Hughes
Absolutely! Same here!😢💔
Cat Daddy
I haven’t thought of this song in decades. And today, at age 67, I can’t get it out of my head.
Susan Loy
I’m right there with you.
P
64... and you, me, and Susan are loving this tune! Ahahahahahah! Beautiful!
Laura Morales
Which song? I'm hearing/listening to She Cried by Jay & the Americans... loving it still!